Stoker mechanism.



D. F. CRAWFORD.

STOKER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.23,1911.

LQSSAQO. Patented June 3, 1913.

INVENTOR Application filed October 1911.

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State ofPennsylvania, have invented (ertain new and useful impro ements in Stoker Mechanism, of which the following specification. This inventionhas relation to an agitator 01' distnrher for loosening and breaking up the coal to be ted to stoker mechanisms and the like, and it is designed particularly for use on under-feed stolters for locomotives. Among the objects of my invention are the I at of in'rpro cd means for agitating rhing the coal contained hi the hop per or in the tender, as th case may be, while it being discharged therefrom; and the provision of an improved disti'irbcr for under-feed stoking mechanism so arranged. as to designate the location of the discharge orifice and thus serve as safety or warning device to the operator. This, together with such other objects as may hereinafter ap pear I attain by means of construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying" drawings wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a locomotive tender showing the application of my ,disturoer;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the tender on an enlarged section showing the disturbing device in detail; Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig, 2 partly in section *Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate modifications of the invention.

While my invention may be applied to various different kinds of feed mechanism, it is particularly well adapted for use in connec tion with the under-feed stoking mechanisms for locomotives, such, for example, asthe type shown in my pending application, Serial No. 626,377, filed May 10. 191 and is shown in the drawings in such application.

Referring to Fig. 1, 7 is the locomotive tender of the .usnal construction which is provided with a discharge orifice doommunicating with he conveyor 9 which is adapted to carry the coal to the engine, The discharge of the coal into the conveyor is controlled by. the reciprocating feed and crushing plunger 10 which operated from the locomotive in the general manner ilins trated in the pendingappli l a! ferred to. Agitating and extant 1g devices have heen used in connection with apparatus of this character, but tney have usu- Epecification of LettersPstc -it.

I in the construction of Fig.

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ally Lgeen upright pins and equivalent devices 'igidly fastened in the iced plunger. This arrangement detective 1 tlrat iyhile 1t may agitate or'cisturb a portionof' the coal, .itunderm'inesthe coal and leaves an arch of coal. located above the discharge orifice and the fireman or' other operator has no indication of thefprecise location of the said orifice and mightbe seriously injured. by.

the feed plunger in case the'arch would give way under his weight. One of the chief objects of my invention is to prevent" this nnderminingmnd projide warning to the fireman as to the precise location (if the discharge orifice and-thereby avoid possible injury. I accomplish this by providing a disturber 11 which is Iret'erably a chain or other flexible device, one end of which is sccurely anchored to the feed plunger as at and the other end snpported from the lo: of the tender, in such manner that itis tree to rotate but will notmove longitudinally with the balance of thech'ain. p

In Figs. *2, 3, an'dfi, the chain or cable is supported byincansioii the bar 12 scid to the water legs'l3 and H of the r. The device agitates and disturhs the substantially the entire length of the chain and the level. of the coal will gradually sink uniformly so that there will he no undermining action. The location of the discharge orifice will. time he definitely indicated. It will he oh veil that the/links of the chain are approx cly circular, the object of which to provide as short a pitch as possible inordcr to avoid the shortening up of the chain by the turning of the links, which occurs when the plunger 10 is being reciprocated.

In Fig. i I have shown a modification or my invention, the departure consisting in providing two chains ll which are fastened at one end to the feed plunger 10 and at their upper ends to the legs of the tender as The advantag s of the device not only as a disturber but as a safety will be obvio-u In the c arrangement 11G 5 the upper end of the chain or cable is pre- Having thus described by invention and,

illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following 1. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination of a hopper or containing receptacle, a discharge orifice therefor, a movable member for controlling the discharge of the coal from the hopper through the discharge orifice, and an agitator located above said orifice,-one end of which is se-- cured to the movable member and the other end supported inthe hopper against movement of translation.v

' 2. In stoking mechanism, the combination with a hopper or containing receptacle'of -a conveyer located therebeneath, a movable plunger for feeding the contents of the hopper into the conveyer, and an agitator located in the hopper, one end of which is secured to the movable plunger and the other end fastened in the hopper against movement of translation.

3. In stoking mechanism, the combination with a hopper or receiving receptacle, of a conveyer located therebeneath, a movable feed 4. In underfeed stoking mechanismv for locomotives, the combination of a conveyer located beneath the locomotivetender, a reciprocating feed plunger for feed-ing'the contents of the tender into the conveyer, and a flexible agitator, one end of which is secured to the reciprocating plunger and the other ends-imported from the side of the tender against movement of translation.

5. In undcrfeed, stoking'mechanism fo'r locomotives, the combination of a conveye located beneath the locomotive tender, a reciprocating feed plunger for feeding the contents of the tender into the conveyer, and a flexible agitator comprising a chain secured at one end to the reciprocating plun ger and supported atthe other end from the side of the tender against movement of translation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

DAVID F. CRAI FORD.

\Vitnesses Ron'it REILLY, E. A. SEARIGHT 

